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The Voice of the Seton Hall CommunityMon, 17 Dec 2018 01:54:30 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=5.0.1Powell leads the way as Seton Hall downs Rutgers in Garden State Hardwood Classichttp://www.thesetonian.com/2018/12/15/powell-leads-the-way-as-seton-hall-downs-rutgers-in-garden-state-hardwood-classic/
http://www.thesetonian.com/2018/12/15/powell-leads-the-way-as-seton-hall-downs-rutgers-in-garden-state-hardwood-classic/#respondSat, 15 Dec 2018 22:44:37 +0000http://www.thesetonian.com/?p=25475Seton Hall reclaimed its bragging rights and avenged its defeat from last season by defeating the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, 72-66, on Saturday afternoon in the annual Garden State Hardwood Classic. Myles Powell had a signature performance, finishing with 28 points and ultimately winning the Joe Calabrese Most Valuable Player Award. Powell’s biggest bucket of the […]

]]>Seton Hall reclaimed its bragging rights and avenged its defeat from last season by defeating the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, 72-66, on Saturday afternoon in the annual Garden State Hardwood Classic.

Myles Powell had a signature performance, finishing with 28 points and ultimately winning the Joe Calabrese Most Valuable Player Award. Powell’s biggest bucket of the afternoon came late in the second half, as Rutgers cut the Seton Hall lead to three with just over three minutes to go before he hit a long-range shot to get the crowd back into the game.

For as good as Powell was, though, it was Sandro Mamukelashvili, despite having a relatively quiet game, who hit everything at the correct time for the Pirates.

Mamukelashvili’s game strayed from where he usually sees it fall, as he finished with 15 points including three buckets from beyond the arc. He also brought down nine rebounds and a block in 32 minutes of action.

Sarah Yenesel / Photography Editor

“He gets in a bad habit of getting a long trigger,” Kevin Willard said of Mamukelashvili’s stroke. “Wednesday, Thursday and Friday we probably shot 500 shots each day. Just getting him to shorten his trigger, because he has a good release and release point, that helped him simplify his shot.”

On top of his production at key times, Mamukelashvili and Romaro Gill provided some much-needed help down low after the Pirates were outrebounded, 28-20, and outscored in second-chance points, 16-4, in the first half. Gill finished the game with five blocks.

“I thought [Gill] came in and changed the game for us,” Willard said. “He didn’t have to worry about little guys shootings threes. He came in and gave us good energy and good defensive presence.”

Despite being outmatched in the paint, the Pirates were able to keep Rutgers’ offense stagnant. Through 20 minutes, Seton Hall led the game for 16:40 and were tied with the Scarlet Knights for less than 20 seconds. The Scarlet Knights ultimately outshot the Pirates by an absurd mark of 79-49 in the game, but Seton Hall was able to keep the Scarlet Knights at bay.

Part of the reason the Pirates were able to head to the break with a 34-25 advantage was their ability to force Rutgers into foul trouble. With just 10:22 passed, the Scarlet Knights allowed the Pirates to reach the one-plus-one.

Seton Hall saw its fair share of miscues in that department as well, however, with Taurean Thompson most notably picking up a technical foul which allowed Rutgers to go on a three-point swing to briefly gain momentum.

Thompson’s technical foul was not the end of the bad-blood, as four more technical fouls would be handed out in the game. Peter Kiss and Jared Rhoden got tangled up at the beginning of the second half and were both assessed one and then Montez Mathis and Michael Nzei got involved in a skirmish that resulted in technical and Mathis fouling out late into the second half.

Within the first 2:30 of the second half, Powell picked up five quick points to force Rutgers to take a timeout. That would not be the story of the rest of the game, though, as the Scarlet Knights were able to cut the Pirates’ lead down on multiple occasions, including to three at one point.

Part of Rutgers’ success in that regard came from Geo Baker waking up. After going 0-5 shooting with no points in the first half, Baker brought down 14 second-half points to keep Rutgers alive. A big part of Baker’s stifling was the defense of McKnight, who Willard has relied on heavily to be his shut-down man.

“[McKnight] can lock in on a guy and understands what he’s doing,” Willard said. “We had a couple of turnovers that frustrated him a little bit.”

Despite the technical, cooler heads ultimately prevailed as Seton Hall dribbled out the clock to claim its fourth Garden State Hardwood Title in five years.

“We’ve been the best, besides [Villanova], college basketball program in the Northeast for the last five years. What we’ve done in this area to be a consistent winner, we take a lot of pride in that,” Willard said. “What I told the guy was, ‘This is going to be a one or two possession game, but we deserve the right for the fact that how hard we’ve worked at this program to get it to where it is that we have to win this game.’”

“They left a bad taste for a whole year,” Powell added. “All the top players, they know each other. Just having to travel around [New Jersey] knowing that Rutgers beat us. People were walking around saying that Rutgers is better than Seton Hall. You take it personal. I finally got to get them back.”

Up next, the Pirates will face Sacred Heart at home on Dec. 19 and then head to Maryland on Dec. 22 for another big test.

“We’re not going to just overlook Sacred Heart,” Powell said. “We’re going to get back, practice, worry about them and then we have a big one coming up this Saturday so we want to be ready for both.”

]]>http://www.thesetonian.com/2018/12/15/powell-leads-the-way-as-seton-hall-downs-rutgers-in-garden-state-hardwood-classic/feed/0Seton Hall hires Ciara Crinion as Women’s Soccer coachhttp://www.thesetonian.com/2018/12/12/seton-hall-hires-ciara-crinion-as-womens-soccer-coach/
http://www.thesetonian.com/2018/12/12/seton-hall-hires-ciara-crinion-as-womens-soccer-coach/#respondWed, 12 Dec 2018 21:25:33 +0000http://www.thesetonian.com/?p=25472On Wednesday, Seton Hall announced the hiring of former Hartford assistant Ciara Crinion as its newest women’s soccer coach. Crinion has spent the past seven seasons working under head coach John Natale at Hartford, where the duo accumulated a record of 77-36-20, won four America East regular season championships and reached the America East Tournament […]

]]>On Wednesday, Seton Hall announced the hiring of former Hartford assistant Ciara Crinion as its newest women’s soccer coach.

Crinion has spent the past seven seasons working under head coach John Natale at Hartford, where the duo accumulated a record of 77-36-20, won four America East regular season championships and reached the America East Tournament final four times.

“We are very excited to welcome Ciara to the Seton Hall Athletics family,” Seton Hall Vice President & Director of Athletics Pat Lyons said. “During the interview process, Ciara demonstrated great passion for coaching and mentoring student-athletes and getting them to reach their maximum potential. We believe that she will not only give our student-athletes a great experience here at Seton Hall, but she will also develop them into contenders in the BIG EAST Conference.”

With Crinion on its staff, Hartford has churned out three United Soccer Coaches All-America selections, four America East Midfielder of the Year honorees, three America East Striker of the Year picks, three America East Goalkeeper of the Year nods and one America East Defender of the Year and Co-Rookie of the Year. She has also been part of three Hartford coaching staffs to earn America East coaching staff of the year honors.

Prior to her coaching career, Crinion was a standout at Central Connecticut State, where she was a two-time All-NEC selection and led the Blue Devils to a conference tournament title in 2008 and a regular season championship in 2009. Crinion has also had stints with the Irish National under-17 and under-19, as well as the Arsenal Ladies Academy and the Boston Renegades in the W League in 2007.

Crinion takes over for Rick Stainton, who stepped down in October following an underwhelming five-year stretch at Seton Hall. In the past two seasons, Seton Hall has posted a 2-24-9 mark.

With that being said, the Pirates return plenty of talent in 2019. Senior captain Siobhan McGovern, as well as juniors Izzy Engel, Cassy Harrigan, Emily Caza and Danielle Camilleri, among others, will be back next season, leaving Crinion with plenty of talent to work with in her first season as head coach.

Tyler Calvaruso can be reached at tyler.@calvaruso@student.shu.edu or on Twitter @tyler_calvaruso.

]]>http://www.thesetonian.com/2018/12/12/seton-hall-hires-ciara-crinion-as-womens-soccer-coach/feed/0Pirates rocked by top-ranked UConnhttp://www.thesetonian.com/2018/12/09/pirates-rocked-by-top-ranked-uconn/
http://www.thesetonian.com/2018/12/09/pirates-rocked-by-top-ranked-uconn/#respondSun, 09 Dec 2018 19:56:54 +0000http://www.thesetonian.com/?p=25457The Seton Hall women’s basketball team traveled to Hartford, Conn. on Saturday afternoon, knowing that it would face its most difficult opponent of the season and arguably in recent memory. The Pirates played hard against the best women’s college basketball program in the nation, but they were ultimately dispatched by the undefeated Huskies, 99-61. Nicole […]

]]>The Seton Hall women’s basketball team traveled to Hartford, Conn. on Saturday afternoon, knowing that it would face its most difficult opponent of the season and arguably in recent memory. The Pirates played hard against the best women’s college basketball program in the nation, but they were ultimately dispatched by the undefeated Huskies, 99-61.

Nicole Jimenez led the visitors on the offensive end, turning in a 23-point performance. Jimenez also added six rebounds and played in every minute of the game. Shadeen Samuels turned in a complete performance as well, facilitating the offense with eight assists, seven points and a team-high 12 rebounds.

An early three-pointer from Kaity Healy gave the Pirates their first and only lead of the game after tipoff. Connecticut, paced by 26 points from superstar Katie Lou Samuelson, played efficiently and punished every misstep by the Pirates, ripping open a 35-13 lead on over 70 percent shooting from the field by the end of the first quarter.

Photo via SHU Athletics

The Huskies continued to extend their lead with a fluid, nearly unstoppable offense and disruptive defending in front of their home crowd, pushing the halftime lead to an unassailable 32 points.

Despite being down big to a superior opponent, the Pirates refused to give in and kept pace with the Huskies during the second half, only outscored by six in the final 20 minutes. The game will serve as an excellent learning experience for the Pirates, who now drop to 7-2 on the season.

Next up for Seton Hall is a trip to Florida for the West Palm Beach Invitational. There, the Pirates will face Georgia Tech and UNC-Greensboro before Big East play kicks off against St. John’s on Dec. 30.

Kyle Beck can be reached at kyle.beck1@student.shu.edu. or on Twitter @notkylebeck.

]]>http://www.thesetonian.com/2018/12/09/pirates-rocked-by-top-ranked-uconn/feed/0Powell’s second-half eruption wills Pirates’ overtime upset over Kentuckyhttp://www.thesetonian.com/2018/12/09/powells-second-half-eruption-wills-pirates-overtime-upset-over-no-9-kentucky/
http://www.thesetonian.com/2018/12/09/powells-second-half-eruption-wills-pirates-overtime-upset-over-no-9-kentucky/#respondSun, 09 Dec 2018 17:13:19 +0000http://www.thesetonian.com/?p=25452The second half of the Citi Hoops Classic awakened a sleeping giant, as Myles Powell heroically drained a potential game-winning three, only to be followed by an absurd Kentucky half-court prayer that forced overtime in dramatic fashion. Powell erupted for 22 second-half points and unselfishly shared the ball that later found Myles Cale for the […]

]]>The second half of the Citi Hoops Classic awakened a sleeping giant, as Myles Powell heroically drained a potential game-winning three, only to be followed by an absurd Kentucky half-court prayer that forced overtime in dramatic fashion. Powell erupted for 22 second-half points and unselfishly shared the ball that later found Myles Cale for the dagger shot, leading the Pirates to an 84-83 upset over No. 9 Kentucky.

Students, alumni, and even Seton Hall transfer center, Ike Obiagu, filled train cars that were headed into New York Penn Station, as the rowdy Pirate faithful packed into Madison Square Garden.

The Pirates were anything but rattled by the atmosphere, hitting five field goals in the opening minutes of the game – including Powell’s only make of the first half.

What makes Powell’s performance remarkable is the shot difficulty and consistency he had. Powell did not have an open three-pointer in the last five minutes of the game and in overtime. Kentucky threw multiple bodies on him on the day, and Powell managed to shoot at a 54 percent clip from three and went 9-for-16 from the field on his way to 28 points.

After taking a charge to win the Pirates the ball back, Powell curled off double screens from Taurean Thompson and Jared Rhoden and drained the game-tying three over the outstretched arms of Kentucky’s leading scorer, P.J. Washington.

With the game deadlocked at 70 and the clock ticking, Powell dribbled near the left elbow and attempted to freeze a Kentucky defender. He then went towards the corner, did a step-back and – somehow – made the three with a defender draped all over him, double-pumping on his release.

Sarah Yenesel/Photography Editor

Powell spoke on his steady mindset throughout the game that enabled him to hit the shot.

“My coach tells me to always be ready, tells my teammates to always be ready because you never know when the ball is going to come your way,” Powell said. “You know they were just around the arc, took my time, it got me, pump fake and it went in.”

The most important thing Powell mentioned is patience and being ready. Going one-of-four from the field in the first half can be derailing to a player’s confidence, especially under a circumstance where many expect Powell to perform.

In overtime, Powell used the attention he garnered to allow others to score. He slowed down the tempo at the top of the key and found Quincy McKnight for an easy alley-oop to put the team up by four. With the team down by one, Powell stepped into a left elbow three and made it – this time with two defenders contesting the shot.

The decision on the last possession by Powell, to pass off a bad look at three, was perhaps his smartest play of the game. The offensive reset allowed for a higher quality shot, as Thompson dished it off to Cale for an open three.

Powell’s performance simultaneously did three things: it proved that the Pirates can be a lot better than the preseason ranking of seventh in the Big East, made Powell the leading scorer in the Big East at 23 points per game and showed that a player of his caliber must be defended for 40 minutes, because he can turn it on at any moment.

Evando Thompson can be reached at evando.thompson@student.shu.edu or on Twitter @Thompsev.

]]>http://www.thesetonian.com/2018/12/09/powells-second-half-eruption-wills-pirates-overtime-upset-over-no-9-kentucky/feed/0Powell and Pirates win pulsating classic at The Gardenhttp://www.thesetonian.com/2018/12/08/powell-and-pirates-win-pulsating-classic-at-the-garden/
http://www.thesetonian.com/2018/12/08/powell-and-pirates-win-pulsating-classic-at-the-garden/#respondSat, 08 Dec 2018 22:59:44 +0000http://www.thesetonian.com/?p=25443NEW YORK – On Saturday afternoon, Seton Hall head coach Kevin Willard added the greatest regular season chapter to his Madison Square Garden history book. After 45 minutes filled with adrenaline, superlatives and almost insurmountable adversity, the Seton Hall men’s basketball team overcame Kentucky, 84-83. The scene was primed for a classic, with a blue […]

]]>NEW YORK – On Saturday afternoon, Seton Hall head coach Kevin Willard added the greatest regular season chapter to his Madison Square Garden history book. After 45 minutes filled with adrenaline, superlatives and almost insurmountable adversity, the Seton Hall men’s basketball team overcame Kentucky, 84-83.

The scene was primed for a classic, with a blue ocean of 10,244 inside the Mecca of basketball. The game started with a lack of basic field goal conversions, but ended with shot-making of the highest quality.

The mayhem truly began when Myles Cale made a cut to the basket with 1:31 to go in regulation and the Pirates down, 67-64. As he rose, so too did Kentucky forward P.J. Washington, who snatched the ball away, sending Cale back down in humiliating fashion.

The scene did not stop there, though, as Washington took a second to stare down at Cale, sending the crowd into a frenzy.

“I’m like ‘Ooh, aah.’ I’m looking at him, I’m like, ‘Aah, you got that one,’” Cale said. “I got up, shook it off, stayed with my teammates. It’s alright, it was a good block. He’s a really good player, really aggressive. You know, he got that one, had a good game, too.”

With his namesake humbled, Myles Powell had an answer. The Kentucky contingent were beginning to believe the blue tide had turned, but Powell stood tall and matched the Wildcats’ defensive effort by drawing an offensive charge.

The timely stop from Powell added to his scintillating 22-point second half performance that provided just enough for the resilient Pirates. On the other end, he nailed one of his five second half three-pointers to tie the game at 67 – the deafening roar drowning out the click of the net.

“I’m just a scorer, and, I know my team needs me to score,” Powell said. “Like I’ve been saying all year since I got here, when my Coach is telling me, ‘Shoot the ball, shoot the ball, shoot the ball,’ it’s kind of hard to second-think it. And, when I’m second-thinking, he can tell that I’m second-thinking.

“I missed the layup, got fouled and landed on my back. And you saw, when Coach called me over, that’s when he said, ‘If you don’t shoot your next open shot I’mma kill you.’ So, I took that with me, and I saw my next one go in, deep, from right in front of our bench. And, after that, I don’t think I missed.”

Sarah Yenesel/Photography Editor

Indeed, there was more to come from Powell. With less than a second separating shot and game clock, he uncorked a go-ahead three-pointer; in a way, unlocking a time machine and bringing back the same feeling of ecstasy that resonated inside Madison Square Garden during the 2016 Big East Tournament final.

“We went into our huddle and said, ‘Look, you defended great, the kid made a ridiculous shot,” Kentucky head coach John Calipari said. “So, let’s just play ours, let’s do what we’re doing.”

After Powell’s last-second three, it was the Pirates who sensed victory, but the Wildcats had their own late-game magic.

“And that’s when we set up the last play and we make it,” Calipari said.

While referees reset the clock – adding four one-hundredths of the second to the initial 1.1 remaining – Willard struggled to feel settled, even though Kentucky was in need of a full-court prayer.

“I was so mad, it was my fault,” Willard said. “I’ve never, ever put a guy on the ball. We practice with a free safety…it makes no sense having a guy on the ball. I’ve never had a seven-footer, and so, I thought, I’ll be smart. I didn’t even have Romaro [Gill] going in, I had Shavar [Reynolds] going in to play defense and being the free safety.

“And then, it took so long for them to review it that, I just had too much time to think and I said, ‘Let me outthink myself,’ and I put Romaro in, and it was stupid. The one thing you try to cover is the middle of the floor in that situation, because, if a guy’s shooting from a sideways angle, the odds of him banking it in are almost zero.”

Kentucky guard Keldon Johnson caught the ball and, centered on the court, took one dribble and clanked the ball off the back of the rim and in. The miraculous shot sent the reeling Pirates to overtime, without frontcourt players Sandro Mamukelashvili and Michael Nzei.

“This is the first time we’ve really been in bad foul trouble with Mike and Sandro both being out,” Willard said. “They’re my security blankets on defense, because they know what to do and they help everybody out. Not having both out there – I thought Taurean [Thompson] played some great minutes.”

Thompson was the only natural paint presence in the end, forcing 6-foot-4 guard Quincy McKnight, who was tenacious all game with 15 points and five assists, to fight for rebounds against players who were four to five inches taller.

Seton Hall clung to the lead for over four minutes of the extra period, but Kentucky stole the advantage with 42 seconds remaining, and padded it with a 1-for-2 trip to the line at the 23-second mark. With the Pirates down by two, 83-81, the game’s defining moment played out.

The Pirates’ late-game execution had been maligned after losses to Saint Louis and Louisville, but, in overtime, Kevin Willard’s young team was methodical and efficient, and the game-winning conversion was its very best display.

Freshman Anthony Nelson dribbled along the paint and dished the ball to McKnight in the corner. Sensing the pressure, he dribbled forward, but into a crowded paint. The veteran point guard sent the ball to Thompson at the three-point line, and the 6-foot-11 forward faked a shot to move past one defender and drew out another with his dribble.

The deception and step forward opened up a pass to Cale, but Washington quickly closed in looking for another block. This time, though, Cale pumped his arms and sent the Kentucky forward flying. He calmly began his shooting motion a second time and converted the winning three, and McKnight got his fingertips on the buzzer-beating attempt at the other end.

It was a frenetic finish that threatened heartbreak, but the outcome was, in fact, the perfect remedy to three early non-conference losses. Seton Hall, now 6-3, have a quadrant 1 win to add to its Wooden Legacy title.

James Justice can be reached at james.justice@student.shu.edu or on Twitter @JamesJusticeIII.

]]>http://www.thesetonian.com/2018/12/08/powell-and-pirates-win-pulsating-classic-at-the-garden/feed/0Inconsistency plagues volleyball in 2018http://www.thesetonian.com/2018/12/06/inconsistency-plagues-volleyball-in-2018/
http://www.thesetonian.com/2018/12/06/inconsistency-plagues-volleyball-in-2018/#respondThu, 06 Dec 2018 15:08:34 +0000http://www.thesetonian.com/?p=25410Although sweeping DePaul, 3-0, in its final match of the season on Nov. 17, the Seton Hall volleyball team ended the year on a disappointing note. In a season filled with promise and high expectations, Allison Yaeger’s squad failed to qualify for the Big East Championship. The Pirates finished with a 10-20 record overall, including […]

]]>Although sweeping DePaul, 3-0, in its final match of the season on Nov. 17, the Seton Hall volleyball team ended the year on a disappointing note. In a season filled with promise and high expectations, Allison Yaeger’s squad failed to qualify for the Big East Championship.

The Pirates finished with a 10-20 record overall, including a measly 5-12 in conference play and 2-9 away from their home court. The team’s greatest downfall came in late September and in early October. Starting with a non-conference loss to Hofstra, Seton Hall went on a seven-game losing streak. The bender saw the Pirates drop its first six Big East contests, which ultimately sunk them.

Following the losing streak, the Pirates went 5-6 in Big East play, and one game against Marquette on Nov. 16 was cancelled and not made up. The team certainly had a chance to go even in conference play, which is neither good nor bad, but the start it had was too much to overcome.

Photo via SHU Athletics

The setback comes after a 16-15 record in the 2017 season. The Pirates last made the Big East Championship in 2016, although they lost to top-ranked Creighton in straight sets.

Next season, Seton Hall will need to rebound by finding more consistency. More often than not, games ended in straight sets for either the Pirates or their opponents. Finals scores of 3-2 were few and far between.

The last three matches of the season, against Creighton, St. John’s and DePaul, respectively, ended in straight sets for the victor. Seton Hall went 1-2 in those matches. You have to go back 10 games to find a five-set match. Seton Hall’s victory over Providence on Oct. 7 was one of only three games in 2018 that went the distance.

In terms of roster overhaul, the Pirates will be graduating five seniors, including crucial setter Sophia Coffey and elite hitters Caitlin Koska and Abby Thelen.

Thelen led the way all year with 391 kills, which was 100 more than the next best, Koska. The combined 682 kills from the duo is 46 more than the rest of the team combined. Seton Hall will struggle to find the power to replace Thelen and Koska, and the program will likely be forced to look to external sources for answers.

Coffey was also an ace in her area, accumulating 768 assists, good for 450 above the next best, Maggie Cvelbar.

Cvelbar, a junior, will be relied on heavily to take a brunt of the load as setter next season. Freshman libero Eden Dolezal, who saw time in 82 sets last season, will also need to take on a larger role.

The Pirates will need to do a lot of soul searching before the 2019 season. This fall was a major blemish on the program’s record, and the team will need to bounce back next calendar year in order to save face.

Kevin Kopf can be reached at kevin.kopf@student.shu.edu or on Twitter @KMKTNF.

]]>http://www.thesetonian.com/2018/12/06/inconsistency-plagues-volleyball-in-2018/feed/0Nicole Jimenez achieves basketball nirvana at Seton Hallhttp://www.thesetonian.com/2018/12/06/nicole-jimenez-achieves-basketball-nirvana-at-seton-hall/
http://www.thesetonian.com/2018/12/06/nicole-jimenez-achieves-basketball-nirvana-at-seton-hall/#respondThu, 06 Dec 2018 15:00:16 +0000http://www.thesetonian.com/?p=25397Once in a while, a player is overlooked in recruitment – by everyone. It is an old adage that intangibles: heart, composure and perseverance, cannot be measured, but it was crystal clear on Sunday in Walsh Gymnasium what so many Division I scouts missed in Seton Hall guard Nicole Jimenez. As the senior from Miami, Fla. […]

]]>Once in a while, a player is overlooked in recruitment – by everyone. It is an old adage that intangibles: heart, composure and perseverance, cannot be measured, but it was crystal clear on Sunday in Walsh Gymnasium what so many Division I scouts missed in Seton Hall guard Nicole Jimenez.

As the senior from Miami, Fla. rained a program-record nine three-pointers on Saint Peter’s, coaches from her past took to social media and shared the unfolding story. Anyone who crossed paths with Jimenez at Florida Christian or Broward College knew she was capable of more than the zero Division-I offers she received during high school would suggest.

Now, the underestimated 5-foot-2 guard is a symbol of what one can achieve when the conventional door is bolted shut: when only two junior colleges and a start-up program in Florida Southwestern show interest.

“A lot of people were telling me to go to JUCO so that maybe I could go to a small D-I,” Jimenez said. “After my freshman year at Broward, I had a few small Division I [offers].

“It wasn’t until my sophomore year that I had a lot more offers, just because, I guess, how I did my sophomore year. And then, it wasn’t until Coach Bozzella came to my last game when we were in States and he saw my last game, it was literally my last game.”

In that second year at Broward, Jimenez averaged 15.5 points on 40.3 percent from three, inspired and kept grounded by a bevy of factors, from the Catholic scriptures she read to the proverbs from her coaches. One that has remained a part of her psyche is, “one percent better each day.”

“My Coach from Broward used to always tell us that,” Jimenez said, before pausing to laugh. “Her name is Melissa Baker, but I call her MJ Triple Threat.”

The gratitude she has toward her family is evident, too. Jimenez has two older sisters and two younger brothers, one of whom, Joshua, claims he can handle Jimenez in one-on-one.

“I’m going to stick to, he won’t beat me,” Jimenez said.

When the day came to sign for Seton Hall, the family made their way to The Salty Donut in Miami for the photo. The popular, trendy coffee shop had plenty of options to satisfy their cravings, but nothing was sweeter than when Jimenez put pen to paper and committed to the Big East school.

Jimenez poses with family as she signs for Seton Hall. Photo via SHU Athletics.

“I mean, it’s a dream come true,” Jimenez said of that day, with a smile as wide as the three-point arc.

A marksman from three, Jimenez struggled to find consistency last season in a half-court offense that was more stop-start. She attempted 97 threes in 598 minutes last season; whereas this year, in 259 minutes, her shot total from beyond the arc is 75.

“We had a lot more ball screens, and you don’t see that a lot this year,” Jimenez said. “So, the pace, it’s faster. We’re not waiting for a ball screen, we’re just going, we’re just playing. We’re coming off floppy screens, it’s not really an on-ball screen, it’s kind of an off-the-ball screen.”

While last season was admittedly a “rollercoaster,” Jimenez glittered with potential in certain moments.

The first instance of that was against UCLA on Dec. 17, 2017, when she totaled a season-high 20 points inside a raucous home environment, nearly stunning the 11th-ranked Bruins in a 77-68 loss. Then, in the final three regular season games, Jimenez averaged 15 points, providing further optimism about what promised to be an emotional senior year.

But, this summer, an untimely, unstable injury threatened the final season Jimenez worked so hard for. The dynamic guard was diagnosed with a herniated disc.

“[The training] was a lot of, like, more mobility, because I have no mobility,” Jimenez recalled at Big East Media Day on Oct. 25. “It was very different training because I’m a lot about pushing weight, moving weight, lifting, but it was less of that and more of being mobile.”

What so many scouts missed four years ago was the discipline and drive that burns inside Jimenez, as scorching hot as her three-point stroke inside Walsh Gymnasium on Sunday. It is a blend of desire and patience that allowed her to navigate that tricky injury this summer, as well as embrace the unconventional path she took to arrive in Division I college basketball.

Any past doubts related to her 5-foot-2 stature seem foolish now, with hindsight treating her absence of D-I college offers as kindly as the Pirates treated the Peacocks in their 90-47 romp.

“The question just makes me laugh because I’m used to playing with girls that are so much taller than me,” Jimenez said. “And, I mean, what’s the [former] point guard from Mississippi State, Morgan William? You know, she’s made big-time plays, beat UConn.”

The mention is timely, considering the Pirates’ next opponent is the very Connecticut program whose 111-game win streak ended when a 5-foot-5 William nailed an overtime buzzer-beater over a 5-foot-11 Gabby Williams in the 2017 Final Four.

“So, I mean, I’m not like the only one,” Jimenez laughed. “There are other players out there, that are doing bigger things than I am.”

But, humble as Jimenez is, there may not be a player over the last two seasons who has performed in big moments more consistently for the Pirates. Her double-digit games down the stretch last year came against rivals and conference juggernauts St. John’s, Marquette and DePaul, and she led the team in scoring against Xavier in a Big East Tournament first-round win.

This season is about making the most of her last opportunity. The record-setting nine threes, career-high 33 points and subsequent Big East Weekly Honor Roll is an astonishing way to start December, but Jimenez never imagined doing so when she toiled away in the gym this summer.

“My goal wasn’t even to break the school record, it just ended up happening; I didn’t even know throughout the game, it just happened,” Jimenez said.

Jimenez focuses on what she can control, and often times that is not as much as she would like. But, she never loses direction. What others might see as crushing setbacks, Jimenez views as a part of the process.

“I guess it just goes back to, leaving it in God’s hands and He’s in control,” Jimenez said. “And, continuing to live each day in the present, not thinking too much about what I can and cannot do, and just doing my best.”

James Justice can be reached at james.justice@student.shu.edu or on Twitter @JamesJusticeIII.

]]>http://www.thesetonian.com/2018/12/06/nicole-jimenez-achieves-basketball-nirvana-at-seton-hall/feed/0Cross country season ends in success for men and womenhttp://www.thesetonian.com/2018/12/06/cross-country-season-ends-in-success-for-men-and-women/
http://www.thesetonian.com/2018/12/06/cross-country-season-ends-in-success-for-men-and-women/#respondThu, 06 Dec 2018 14:53:20 +0000http://www.thesetonian.com/?p=25388The IC4A Coaches Race on Nov. 17 was the last event for the cross country program on the season, as the women’s side placed four competitors in the top-10, while the men placed two in the top-20. The race was held at Van Cortlandt Park in New York, a site that the Pirates travel to […]

]]>The IC4A Coaches Race on Nov. 17 was the last event for the cross country program on the season, as the women’s side placed four competitors in the top-10, while the men placed two in the top-20.

The race was held at Van Cortlandt Park in New York, a site that the Pirates travel to at least two times a year. Although the team has the experience for the path, snow caused a restructuring of the race.

According to Jarod Moser, the changing of the race took emphasis off running the hills, switching it from a toughness race to a speed race.

Photo via SHU Athletics

“It was a little unexpected, but we did what we could do,” Moser said. “I think we got a good performance overall. Running through the snow is a little tough but it was fun.”

Moser was one of the participants on the men’s team to place in the top-20, as he placed fourth overall with a time of 24:21 in the 4.97 mile race. His motivation during the race was to remind himself that it would be the final cross country event in his Seton Hall career.

“It was emotional getting onto the line for the last time,” Moser said. “It is something I have had experience with since seventh grade, being on multiple different teams, being with the same guys every single day, so it was a bit emotional for me. I was just looking straight ahead and thinking, ‘Wow this is actually happening after four years in college, this is the last race’. During the race it was, ‘Go out with a bang, do not have any regrets, and just try my hardest.’”

On the other side of the spectrum, Emma Newgarden, who finished third overall for the women, was a freshman looking to return to form in the last event of her first-year campaign.

“For me, I felt really nice because I have not been feeling well for a long time. I had been sick and hurt my knee,” Newgarden said. “It was nice to end on a note feeling like myself again. I felt like I had finally ran I normally expect myself, because the last few meets I had not been doing as well.”

The changing of the course also played a part in assisting Newgarden in achieving her results by putting herself into a different mindset. “It took pressure off because I knew the times would be different, so I wasn’t so worried about improving on past times on that course,” Newgarden said. “I was just worried about doing the best for my team, and I think that is how all of us felt.”

With the season over, Moser and Newgarden see ways the programs can improve.

For Newgarden, she feels the team should learn how to become less tired down the stretch of the season with the way it trains. Meanwhile, Moser, looking a team full of younger runners, thinks it is important for the freshmen to cope with the uptick in miles that they will run during the year.

Yet for Moser, as an exiting member of the team, what he will take away most from his four years as a Pirate is what he learned from his head coach, John Moon.

“Honestly for me, Coach Moon is a father figure,” Moser said. “I remember my freshman or sophomore year, I was about the eighth man on the team. I was coming in top in the workouts but it just was not happening in the races. He just kept telling me, ‘You are not believing in yourself’. I was like, ‘what does he mean?’ Then one race I got first and that was all I needed.”

“It was the confidence. Coach Moon was right, you just need to believe in yourself. For him he teaches us more than running, its life lessons. He is always telling us stories. It is really values I will take for the rest of my life.”

Robert Fallo can be reached at robert.fallo@student.shu.edu or on Twitter @robert_fallo.

]]>http://www.thesetonian.com/2018/12/06/cross-country-season-ends-in-success-for-men-and-women/feed/0Mamukelashvili finds way as sophomorehttp://www.thesetonian.com/2018/12/06/mamukelashvili-finds-way-as-sophomore/
http://www.thesetonian.com/2018/12/06/mamukelashvili-finds-way-as-sophomore/#respondThu, 06 Dec 2018 14:47:04 +0000http://www.thesetonian.com/?p=25378With time winding down against Saint Louis on Nov. 17, Sandro Mamukelashvili found himself wide open at the top of the key with a chance to erase all the memories of a freshman season plagued by inconsistencies across the board. In his first season at Seton Hall, Mamukelashvili found himself playing behind program legend Angel […]

]]>With time winding down against Saint Louis on Nov. 17, Sandro Mamukelashvili found himself wide open at the top of the key with a chance to erase all the memories of a freshman season plagued by inconsistencies across the board.

In his first season at Seton Hall, Mamukelashvili found himself playing behind program legend Angel Delgado and the always-solid Ismael Sanogo in the frontcourt. Minutes were scarce and most of the time Mamukelashvili spent on the floor was in low-leverage situations. Other than a breakout performance on the road against Xavier in February, Mamukelashvili struggled to consistently string together solid performances. Some games, the Georgia native would flash the skills that made him a top recruit coming out of Montverde Academy in Florida, while he would disappear and become a non-factor in others.

“Last season was kind of a learning experience for me,” Mamukelashvili said. “I was behind the best player in the country. Every time I was going against him in practice, he was boxing me out and showing me tricks, so I feel like what he taught me shows in the game. Last year, I didn’t have that much confidence because I knew I was in for a certain amount of minutes. Now when coach puts me in, I want to show him that I deserve my minutes. I’m just trying to do my best.”

Sarah Yenesel/Photography Editor

After Delgado and Sanogo graduated, Mamukelashvili was thrust into the starting lineup and stepped into a key role in Seton Hall’s frontcourt. Alongside Michael Nzei, it would be on Mamukelashvili to make up for the lost production. Against Saint Louis, Mamukelashvili had a chance to create a signature moment in only his second game as a starter. With the scoreboard reading 66-64, Mamukelashvili pulled up from beyond the arc to give Seton Hall its seond win of the season.

Instead of a storybook end to the game, the shot was long and Seton Hall dropped its first home non-conference loss in 30 such games. A year ago, the miss would’ve been enough to deflate Mamukelashvili and send him into a funk, but 2018 is a different story for the sophomore forward.

Immediately after the loss, Mamukelashvili headed to the practice gym once the team arrived back on campus. It was midnight, but that did not deter Mamukelashvili from working on his game to ensure that the next time he had a chance like the one against Saint Louis, he would deliver.

Since the Saint Louis loss, Mamukelashvili has been playing inspired and confident basketball. Beginning with a trip to California in the Wooden Legacy Invitational, Mamukelashvili took matters into his own hands and displayed the killer instinct that piqued Seton Hall’s interest when he was in high school.

“I think the biggest thing with Sandro is the more confident he gets, the more comfortable he gets on the offensive end,” coach Kevin Willard said. “He’s doing a really good job rebounding the basketball and I think he’s doing a little bit of everything. He’s rebounding, he’s defending pretty darn well. I wouldn’t say he’s doing one thing great, but he’s doing a lot of things well.”

Mamukelashvili has played tough on both ends and his efforts have not gone unnoticed by his teammates and fans. After subbing out for the final time against New Hampshire, Mamukelashvili got a standing ovation from the crowd – proof that all of his hard work over the summer has finally paid off.

“It’s an amazing feeling,” Mamukelashvili said of the ovation. “I feel like after the Saint Louis game, I was a little down because I missed the game winner, but the fans stuck with me and they really supported me. It’s amazing to come out and see familiar faces clapping for you.”

“Sandro’s perfect, he can do everything,” Myles Cale said. “He can score, rebound, pass and shoot. He has really improved since last year. Me and him have been in the gym all summer trying to get better and we knew our role this season would be a lot bigger.”

As the season progresses, Seton Hall needs Mamukelashvili to remain confident in his game and attack with a vengeance on a nightly basis. With Big East play nearing, the Pirates need Mamukelashvili ready to bang down low and go up against the best frontcourt players that the conference has to offer.

Tyler Calvaruso can be reached at tyler.calvaruso@student.shu.edu or on Twitter @tyler_calvaruso.

]]>http://www.thesetonian.com/2018/12/06/mamukelashvili-finds-way-as-sophomore/feed/0Poor shooting leads to rocky start for Pirateshttp://www.thesetonian.com/2018/12/06/poor-shooting-leads-to-rocky-start-for-pirates/
http://www.thesetonian.com/2018/12/06/poor-shooting-leads-to-rocky-start-for-pirates/#respondThu, 06 Dec 2018 14:37:44 +0000http://www.thesetonian.com/?p=25373Kevin Willard’s biggest challenge this season was replacing the production left behind by his four-star seniors, and it still remains a work in progress eight games in. The men’s basketball team has gotten off to a 5-3 start this season and begins conference play on Dec. 29. There were certainly expectations for a few players, […]

]]>Kevin Willard’s biggest challenge this season was replacing the production left behind by his four-star seniors, and it still remains a work in progress eight games in.

The men’s basketball team has gotten off to a 5-3 start this season and begins conference play on Dec. 29. There were certainly expectations for a few players, such as Myles Powell and Michael Nzei, to rise up and perform this season, but the Pirates have seen a welcome effort from some of their less experienced players as well.

Seton Hall’s three losses came by way of Saint Louis, Louisville and Nebraska. The two games against Saint Louis and Louisville were home losses at the Prudential Center, while Nebraska was on the road.
In these three games, the team’s shooting percentages were down almost entirely across the board.

Sarah Yenesel/Photography Editor

Against Nebraska, the Pirates shot 36 percent from the field, 13 percent from three and 65 percent from the line and would go on to lose 80-57. In the Saint Louis game, they shot 33 percent from the field, 24 percent from three and 71 percent from the line. This game was decided by just one score, 66-64. Finally, they shot 40 percent from the field, 17 percent from three and 80 percent from the line against Louisville. This would be another close finish with the Pirates losing 70-65.

It is no secret that shooting woes are what kept Seton Hall from seeing those games fall in the win column. Along with shooting a subpar 45 percent from the field, the Pirates are averaging a mere 28 percent from three and 69 percent from the free throw line. In comparison, their opponents are averaging 34 percent from three and 74 percent from the line.

In the team’s five wins, it is shooting significantly better from all areas. Since the Pirates are not overwhelming their opponents on the defensive end, consistent shooting will play a major factor in the outcome of future matchups.

Despite the team’s rocky start, Powell has been on fire as per usual. After the team’s win over New Hampshire on Dec. 4, Powell is ranked 22nd in the country with 22.4 points per game.
While Powell’s performance is enough to keep eyes on the Pirates, a few members of the supporting cast have surprised with their play thus far, too.

Quincy McKnight, in particular, has proved his value on the court. He is averaging 8.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. He has also demonstrated tremendous grit on defense, as he is averaging a team second-best 1.5 steals per game.

The Pirates are ultimately still a work in progress. They have many details that still need ironing out, but it appears that Willard is beginning to figure out how to balance his cast of young athletes.

Anthony Talarico can be reached at anthony.talarico@student.shu.edu or on Twitter @ant_tal.